Plastic and can bin contamination rate in Fife prompts warning

New guide to educate households on best use of bins

More than half of the waste in plastic and can bins at Fife’s recycling points should not be there, it has emerged.

Fife Resource Solutions has admitted the 50%-plus contamination rate in the bins is proving “challenging” to deal with as many of the bags contain mixed household waste.

This could lead to some of the recycling points, situated in communities across the region, being removed if they continue to be misused.

Robin Baird, chief executive of Fife Resource Solutions, the arms-length organisation set up to manage recycling and waste, said he was puzzled the issue only appears to have cropped up in plastic and can bins, with those designed for glass normally unaffected.

Work is to be done on the issue to produce a new recycling guide for every household, but he warned: “If plastic and can bins are to remain at recycling points, the quality within these bins requires to improve in line with material accepted in green kerbside bins.”

Waste regulations require the separate collections of plastics, metals, food, paper, cardboard and glass, although Fife’s four-bin kerbside collection service covers the majority.

Fife’s network of 278 recycling points offer convenient facilities for residents, while there are 11 household waste recycling centres with bins for glass, plastic and cans, paper and cardboard.

There are 2,186 bins at recycling points across the region and Fife Resource Solutions service the equivalent of 3,068 recycling point bins each week. There are 1,225 bins for glass bottles and jars, 708 plastic and can bins and 253 paper and cardboard bins.

A condition survey was carried out on all of the bins at recycling points during October and November last year, with 59 bin lids needing replaced, four bins needing replaced and 8% of the points requiring repairs to fencing.

A total of 14.5% of recycling points visited had fly-tipped waste, it is hoped the proposed recycling guide will raise awareness of the use of recycling points.

News of the contamination problem was highlighted at the environment, protective services and community safety committee, where the introduction of additional glass collection sites was approved.

“If plastic and can bins are to remain at recycling points, the quality within these bins requires to improve. ROBIN BAIRD

Some recycling points could be removed unless rubbish is disposed of correctly.